Last August we passed our vacation in Lapland. Lapland is how we call the most Northern part of Finland. Our first stop was Rovaniemi, which is from Helsinki 827 km / 513 mi. The distance to Arctic Circle from Rovaniemi is about 10 km / 6 mi to the North.

First leg we made from Helsinki on car carrier train. Thus we were full of life and energy in the morning at Rovaniemi. Our blue car was “fully loaded” and with that I mean for example camping equipment, travel fridge, camping table, two chairs, reserve gasoline, fresh water and of course all that what two people need when travelling.

The weather was not at its best. Many times it was raining, cold. Normally in August the weather is quite warm and sunny even in Lapland, but this time we were not lucky. It didn’t hampered our car vacation, we enjoyed our life. There was so much to see which compensated the cold and rainy weather.

Arctic Circle is the gateway to Lapland. The place is a little bit “commercial”, but does it matter? Welcome to travel with us and to experience all what we saw through my images. The adventure begins.

Thank You for Your visit and comment. You made interesting point of view about signposts. I did not calculate, but if You follow my travel story, then You’ll see more of them and find that they are different.

You are so kind. Thank You. Okay, this was just the start and You can wait to see landscapes of the North, making a cruise on a very Northern huge lake, wooden art of course, presentation of log houses, hiking and much more. This much I can reveal now. So welcome to travel with us! In or car there is always room for one more! 🙂

I think this is my first glimpse of the Arctic Circle. I think it’s neat that the position of the Circle is marked on the pavement. The buildings are rustic, and beautiful. They remind me of some of the villages outside our national parks. I look forward to seeing more pictures from this region.

Thank You commenting. You made excellent question. Yes and yes. At the end of my series there are a lot of gorgeous pictures from reindeers. They are beautiful and noble animals without fear of people.

This place is easy to visit from Helsinki, by flying or by trains. Personally I love the night train, because in its cabins are also showers. So the night train is a “mobile” hotel. We used the same train, but our car was loaded on it. It is very popular to use train to there and then drive back all the way as we made.

Santa Claus village is worth for visit. There it is possible to make a reindeer sleigh rides. for example.

So nice Kateri that You made Your comment. Thank You. When travelling more You’ll see more and more lovely small and big log cabins. Our fist night we spent in a log cabin which was equipped with Sauna, of course.

Thank You commenting. Well, well, my English is bad and what comes to Spanish and French my skills are really poor. I still continue using them, because I am learning every time more and more when making translations in them. They are my language lessons. 🙂 One reason why I am posting only once a week is that translations take time from me, but I love to do them. So, be careful when reading my blogs in Spanish and French because You can “learn” wrong grammar. To me it is many times easier to speak these languages, than to write complete correct language.

I would really like to crossthe arctic circle – especially in the summer to experience the “midnight sun”! But I have just a little note to the images about Santa Claus: Santa Claus lives in Greenland (in other words, in Denmark – as long as Greenland remains a part of the country 😉 )!!!!

Midnight sun is gorgeous to see. To sleep during nights or let us say white nights is for some tourists “annoying” for some first nights, because they are not accustomed to sleep in daylight. No problem, soon one does not notice at all, if it is day or night. 🙂

What comes to Santa Claus I feel very sorry that You received the wrong information since Your childhood! 🙂 Many say that Santa’House is in North Pole, Alaska. Wrong. 🙂 You say in Greenland. Wrong again. 🙂 Actually Santa Claus lives in Korvatunturi. 🙂 There he is making Christmas presents for all kind children assisted by Christmas gnomes during 364 days a year without overtime pay. 🙂 At this point You might wonder where I missed one day. I did not miss one day, because that special day he is travelling around the world distributing presents. 🙂 How much does Santa Claus will receive salary for this? He gets only good feeling in his heart! I’ve wondered myself, when the labor authorities get involved with this huge work session. 🙂

Why he has office in Arctic Circle? He is very modern and understands the promotional value. Also there he can “sniff” the most new development plans for modern gifts. Product development is for Santa Claus also the keyword. Who is the Santa Claus in the Christmas village at Arctic Circle is a secret to us adults. Maybe the real Father Christmas hired someone who reminds him completely, doppelganger. Well, to get the right answer You have to come and find out it Yourself. 🙂

LOL! I think your theory about the doppelganger in Finland at the Arctic Circle is right – because the REAL Santa Claus IS in Greenland 😉 !!!! But to eliminate any doubts: I better plan for a visit to investigate this BOTH in Finland AND in Greenland! 😉

Well, well, I think that we could change opinions from this matter many hours, but Your idea is great to check both places. Anyway this is not for humorless and that is why I love your opinion! 🙂

In Finland Santa Claus visits in homes – inside personally. He gives a ring at the door bell and asks from children if there are any kind children in house. Santa also has a small chatting with every child. After that children are singing some Christmas song for Santa. This a must. It is a very exciting moment for those smallest. After that Santa finally gives presents to children.

So every Finnish child has seen Santa with their own eyes during many Christmases and thus they are eye-witnesses that Santa is real and lives. LOL.

Yes, Matti – the humor is (also) so important here: Santa Claus – what would he be without humor?!
That’s why I like your comments too 🙂
Anyway – Santa also visits our homes here December 24, when my children were younger he ALWAYS came here bringing presents for the kids 🙂

Wow, I hope I could make it this far to this Arctic Circle when I go to Helsinki next week.
Thanks for your links about Helsinki pictures.
I have checked all of them.
And I have planned my walking tours in the city already.
I would like also like to see Suomenlinna, it’s a UNESCO site.

There are quite a few free museums in Helsinki. 🙂
I am staying at Katajanokka Skatudden.
I think I can get the ferries to Tallinn easily from there.
But I checked the journey time, it’s rather long in the winter, up to 3 hours…
In the summer, it’s shorter, about 1.5 hours.
Maybe I should go back to Finland in summer.

Oh yes, what food must I try in Finland?
My travel books didn’t introduce a lot about Finnish food…

Wow. We just came from cold and snowy Helsinki. There was light show which I wanted to photograph. Photos from that I’ll present before next Christmas. Katajanokka is in the high center of Helsinki. There is one obligatory thing that You must do in Finland.

Go to Sauna!!! Do not think to leave Finland without having a Sauna bath!!! In every hotel there might be a Sauna. Then in every indoor swimming pool there are. They are great, that I can say. Those Saunas in indoor swimming pool are my favorite.

About food, I suggest fish and especially salmon. In Finnish restaurants You have no language problems, because English is talked widely. All restaurants in Helsinki have Finnish food, so just ask what they recommend.

If You have time, then visit Rovaniemi and Arctic Circle. I think that it is an adventure for You. There are plenty of snow; about half a meter. Check night train time table. Here in English:

Oh, my. Steven and I were talking about the Arctic Circle just last night… and I recall first having read about Lapland in my grade school geography book long, long, long ago. So I’d always wondered about it, and here you and Anja were both there. Wow.

Thanks for sharing your adventure, Matti. Maybe next time the weather will be better.

Oh, oh! Will you be sharing photos from the Christmas exhibition? And what about the post office? What’s it like inside?

Coincidences. 🙂 Thank You! Those things You mentioned, so sorry, I am not presenting. Maybe we visit someday again there and present at same time the town of Rovaniemi. Next Friday our trip continues with new photos and items.

In Rovaniemi there is really Joulupukki’s land. When Father Christmas is leaving his home to distribute presents for children, it is televised worldwide. I did not think that it can be seen also in Internet, but naturally.

Your comment made my day! This post is very important to me. We made a car holiday by car and the Arctic Circle was first stop. We travelled up to the Norway visiting some nice places and towns. I made if I remember 14 posts from our trip. The place is beautiful, but when we were there it was raining, but it happens.

Oh, thank You for Your kind comment. I think, that my newest post presenting this castle, You must wait until next year’s autumn or to early winter. That is due to my plan to present a series of photos from our unique Poor-man wooden statues. They are beside of old churches and as said already they are unique in the whole world. Some are found in Sweden, but in Finland we have Poor-man statues 107 and one Poor-woman statue. At same time I show those old churches, chandelier, altars, pulpits and war memorials on graveyards. There will be 14 posts which each presents four Poor-man statues. Some only three or two, but in those cases churches are so gorgeous that I had to shoot plenty of photos from them.

My posts are not religious, but cultural historic. I can say that my series of them is unique! Welcome to follow it starting on Friday 4th, January 2013.

I am happy that You like my photos from our car trip Beyond the Arctic Circle. There are nice place for visit in Lapland. If You have time someday, then check my posts. There is always links back and forward. I am sure that You will love Lapland. There are also three posts South of Arctic Circle on our return trip and there are some surprises.

Oh my goodness thank you for taking us to Lapland. What a beautiful place. I’d love love love to go there!
Does Santa pose for pictures at Christmas village? I was interested to learn that its popular to put your car on the night train for the first leg of the journey. I’ll be back to see your posts of the rest of the trip.

Yes, You can meet Santa for photos of course. Night train is very practical way to go to the North. Of course one can visit Arctic Circle by plane in 1½ hours; direct flights.

My series which I presented last year was a success to me, so I find them. There were 14 posts beyond the Arctic Circle and 3 South of the Arctic Circle. What we did see during on our road trip? Some examples: huge amount of carved animals, visiting bear’s nest stone, driving alongside between Norway and Finland in a long valley alongside the Tana river, visiting the Northernmost village in Europe Union (Finland), making lake cruise on a Finland’s Northernmost lake, exploring Norway in two posts, looking awesome log houses, hiking to the top of some Arctic hills and much more.

Visiting South of the Arctic Circle might sound dull, no not at all. Here is my post from that road trip which might astonish You:

It was cold and rainy day, when our road trip started. When driving to the north, days came warmer, varying from 22 to 26. We have made some road trips in Lapland (northernmost part of Finland). We love make short day hikes on our Arctic Hills where reindeer roam freely. Reindeers are cute animals. August is the best month for Lapland. I think that reindeers are quite unknown to You, so I show to You them in two posts: